Cybermancy Launch-What I Owe the Wyrdsmiths

Today is the day Cybermancy comes out. Over at SFNovelists I'm talking about that and the decision that got me to a place where I have my second book coming out with two more forthcoming--the decision not to quit. And I'm going to borrow the next paragraph from that post. It contains all the review links and that stuff.

I could babble about what Cybermancy is about here, or talk about WebMage, the book it follows, but I won't. I'm going to give you some links to reviews of both books to cover that ground. Since many of the Cybermancy reviews aren't accessible yet, I've posted transcriptions at Wyrdsmiths (my home blog). For WebMage which has been out for a year let me just note: SciFi.Com, Romantic Times, blogcritics.org, and Huntress Reviews (scroll down the page for both Cybermancy and WebMage). I could also talk about the sequels, CodeSpell, slated for June '08, and MythOS, Summer '09.

What I want to talk about instead is the Wyrdsmiths and how much having a writing support structure matters. Because, contrary to the popular myth of the writer crafting a work of genius alone in a tower, I am no lone ranger. The initial idea is generally mine, but almost from the moment of conception on my work is touched and improved by a community. The process begins when I tell Laura about my fantastic, wonderous, amazing, genius idea! (FWAGI) I feel that way with all of them at the start, even the ones that I end up deep sixing because they're just not up to the task of supporting a novel. Laura smiles and nods and makes the occasional suggestion, as do the next twenty people I tell about the idea–when I have the FWAGI, I really really want to share. At some point however, the babbling moves to execution and I actually start writing stuff down.

This is the point where the Wyrdsmiths come in. From the moment they see that first chapter I start getting all sorts of intellectual goodies. That's because the Wyrdsmiths do more than just tell me what's wrong, they also help me brainstorm and make all sorts of valuable suggestions about how make more things turn out right. Collectively the Wyrdsmiths have published more than 20 novels and 100 short stories, and have probably written three times that number. The collective wisdom of the collective is a resource beyond price and I treasure it. That's part of why I put together the Wyrdsmiths Index linked over on the right side of the page there, because it's a treasure I want to share.

Cybermancy would not be what it is or where it is without my fellow Wyrdsmiths. So, Eleanor, Lyda/Tate, Naomi, Harry, Bill, Doug, and Sean–Thank you.

I'll be happy to talk about writing community or even that book thing that comes out today in the comments area below where more thanks will be extended.

P.S. Dreamhaven has set up a page on their website for people who want to order signed or personalized copies of either Cybermancy or WebMage and I will do said signing or personalizing at the reading I'll be doing there October 26th, or possibly earlier if I can get in before that.